R.Mikesh, A.Shorzoe Japanese Aircraft, 1910-1941 (Putnam)

Kishi No.2 Tsurugi-go Aeroplane

To introduce improvements, a second aeroplane was built by Kishi, again using his 70hp Renault engine. This aeroplane was designed by Aijiro Hara along with T Naganuma and E Munesato from Kishi's staff. Being fully original, it differed from the previous aeroplane by having no forward elevator but having slight sweepback to the wings, and was a pusher-type aeroplane with a cockpit pod to which was attached a nosewheel thus giving it a tricycle undercarriage. Lt Inoue made the first, and last flight of this aeroplane at Inage on 12 December, 1916. Immediately after take off, the craft banked sharply to the left, allowing the wingtip to contact the ground, causing it to cartwheel and end the flight with considerable damage to the aeroplane. It was assumed that the cause of the accident was the sweptback wing design. Aspects of the design were therefore never tested but it was expected to have a maximum speed of 57kt (65mph) as opposed to that of 49kt (56mph) of the Maurice Farman 1913. It had the structural strength for aerobatics and the range to fly nonstop from Tokyo to Osaka, a major feat for 1916.